Chapter 286: This is a Circus

Ji’an offered a weak smile, deeply appreciative of his lethal confidence, but her mind was spinning with the ramifications of Shen Zechuan’s return.

"Is there anyone else?" Ji’an asked, bracing herself for more bad news. "Has the universe decided to resurrect an ancient demon king while we’re at it? Are there any other hidden prodigies crawling out of the woodwork?"

Wangchen’s expression shifted, a faint, almost imperceptible look of annoyance crossing his flawless features.

"There is no demon king," Wangchen replied, picking up his teacup again. "But there is a rumor circulating among the upper echelons of the elders. A rumor regarding the Sect Leader’s bloodline."

Ji’an blinked. "The Sect Leader has a family?"

"He has many children, most of whom stay outside like other disciples and train by themselves," Wangchen explained dismissively. "But his youngest daughter... she is a different matter entirely."

Wangchen took a sip of tea, his ruby eyes reflecting a deep, ingrained distaste for sect politics.

"Her name is Bai Liyue. She was born with the Supreme Heavenly Yin Body, a constitution so incredibly rare and potent that it can elevate the cultivation base of any male practitioner. Because of her inherent value and the danger of her being exploited by demonic factions or unscrupulous orthodox masters, the Sect Leader sequestered her in the Hidden Cloud Pavilion since infancy. None of the sect disciples ever saw her or knew her."

Ji’an’s jaw dropped.

’The Supreme Heavenly Yin Body!’ Ji’an’s inner web-novel critic shrieked. ’The ultimate, walking, breathing cheat-code for male protagonists! She is the quintessential, destined female lead! She is the princess in the tower! The entire tournament arc isn’t just about ranking; it’s going to be a massive, testosterone-fueled peacocking contest to win the favor of the Sect Leader’s daughter!’

"But the rumors state," Wangchen continued, completely oblivious to Ji’an’s internal meltdown over classic Xianxia tropes, "that her constitution has finally stabilized. And that the Sect Leader intends to use the conclusion of the Official Sect Martial Ranking to introduce her to the world formally... and potentially select a Dao Companion for her from among the highest-ranking prodigies."

Ji’an slumped forward, pressing her forehead flat against the cool jade of the table.

She let out a long, muffled groan of absolute, profound despair.

"Are you unwell, Ji’an?" Wangchen asked, genuinely concerned, leaning forward to inspect her slumped form.

"I am perfectly well," Ji’an mumbled against the jade. "I am just marveling at the absurdity of my existence. We have a battle royale survival match, a dark, abyss-corrupted Senior Apprentice who probably wants to murder everyone, and a sequestered, living-battery princess whose hand in marriage is the ultimate prize."

She turned her head to the side, resting her cheek on the table, looking up at Wangchen’s beautiful, confused face.

"It’s a circus, Wangchen," Ji’an sighed heavily. "We are living in a highly explosive, dramatically overwritten circus. And I am just a cook who wants to fry rice in peace."

Wangchen stared down at her.

He listened to her bizarre, colorful complaints.

He saw the sheer, exhausted exasperation in her silver-flecked eyes.

And for the second time that evening, the Ice Demon let out a genuine, beautiful, ringing laugh that echoed out over the mist-shrouded abyss.

He didn’t care about the Senior Apprentice.

He didn’t care about the Sect Leader’s daughter or her legendary constitution.

To him, the Supreme Heavenly Yin Body was nothing but a worthless, irritating noise compared to the vibrant, chaotic, completely unpredictable girl resting her head on his table.

"Let the circus perform, Brother Ji’an," Wangchen smiled, reaching out to gently, fondly tap her forehead with his index finger. "The clowns may dance, and the beasts may roar. But when the dust settles, they will learn a fundamental truth of this mountain."

He leaned closer, his ruby eyes burning with a dark promise that sent a shiver straight to her core.

"They are merely participants in the game," Wangchen whispered, the ambient temperature in the pavilion dropping to a crisp, thrilling chill. "But we... we are the ones who own the board. Now, sit up, Brother Ji’an. You promised to tell me about the recipe you invented using the Blood-Rot Lotus."

Ji’an sat up, rubbing her forehead, a reluctant, yet incredibly fond smile breaking through her anxiety.

The plot was terrifying.

The new characters were intimidating.

The future was a chaotic, unwritten mess.

But as she looked across the table at the silver-haired immortal who had just sworn to conquer the world for her, Lin Ji’an realized that she wasn’t facing the storm alone.

The Ice Demon was on her side.

And together, they were going to turn the Official Sect Martial Ranking into the greatest culinary exhibition the Azure Empire had ever seen.

***

The morning mist on the Drunken Peak was thick, cold, and heavy with the scent of pine and fermenting plum wine.

For Lin Ji’an, it was the perfect cover for a tactical, highly covert extraction.

She did not want to see Xie Wangchen.

It wasn’t that she didn’t care about him; the entire swamp expedition had proven exactly how far she would go for the Ice Demon.

But the emotional fallout of their reunion on the balcony, compounded by her nosebleed-inducing fantasy of a dripping-wet Wangchen, had left her psychological defenses in shambles.

She needed some alone time and space.

She needed to not look into his radiant, ruby-red eyes until her internal monologue stopped sounding like a degenerate romance novelist.

Furthermore, the Celestial Sword Sect was currently crawling with the apex predators of the novel’s universe.

The Beast Lord, the Sword Lord, the Shadow Assassin— they were all back.

If she lingered in the open plazas, she was guaranteed to stumble into a death match or a terrifyingly intense staring contest.

"Avoidance is the highest tier of martial strategy," Ji’an muttered to herself, wrapping her gray cloak tightly around her shoulders and slipping out the back gate of the courtyard while Master Jiu Zui was still snoring in his hammock.